“Software is the new Blackberry” is trending on various social media platforms. The craze of holding and owning a Blackberry smartphone died along with the breakdown of its signature phones. Blackberry, the pioneer smartphone manufacturer, has taken a sharp detour and has shifted its focus on developing security-based apps for various smartphones, government and business executives. The company has turned its page of history to begin anew, post the launch of its last range of smartphones based on the Blackberry 10 operating system. These phones were ubiquitous and gave a tough competition to touchscreen-based smartphones. The QWERTY-equipped-keyboards were much preferred by customers as they were hesitant in using touchscreen-based smartphones. Blackberry, being a choice of many celebrities, became a leading smartphone manufacturer as it was more trusted and provided the users with features of water-tight security system. Blackberry sustained its presence in the global market of smartphones, until the Google-based Android phones with features like touchscreen, phone lock system, and various apps attracted a lot of customers and took the sales of its smartphones down to losses.

It was Blackberry that started the modern smartphone era by incorporating a functional keyboard and mailing capabilities in order to make tasks for its users easy, by click of a fingertip. Its proprietary system known for its water tight security was an instant hit and were spotted with state executives such as Barack Obama and various other business executives. Blackberry’s signature smartphones were in demand due its Blackberry messenger, which many youngsters preferred to have group chats on.

In order to sustain its presence in the smartphones industry, the company shifted focus from manufacturing its BB operating system, to smartphones with Android operating system along with various apps that its competitors provided, but it mainly caught itself updating with market trends. The company launched Blackberry DTEK50 in 2016 to regain its presence and compete with touchscreen-based smartphones. This smartphone provided the users with a 5.20 inch touchscreen-based display, which was a display of 1080 pixels by 1092 pixels at a 424 pixels per inch (PPI).

In 2007, iPhone entered the market with amazing features, but it was difficult for the customers as they could not give up on Blackberry phones owing to its QWERTY keyboards and simplicity. Blackberry launched ‘The Classic smartphones’ with plastic keys and track pads to dominate the smartphone market and its new models, in order to compete and sustain its presence. However, it did not break out the sales of individual model of smartphones, which made it difficult for customers to judge the Classic phones. The Classic range of smartphones ran a Blackberry 10 operating system and hoped to make it a vibrant force again, but since then it mainly focused on Google-based Android phones. Blackberry launched its last set of smartphone with traditional QWERTY keyboards, in the blackberry classic range.

The iOS and Android phones began launching smartphones that offered similar features along with a number of apps, which turned the heads of many customers towards their range of products.

Thus, Blackberry phones only had a small subset of customers who were addicted to QWERTY-equipped-keyboard smartphones, while smartphones with touchscreens were more preferred among users. The company suffered a quarterly loss of $670 million in the late August. John Chen, the CEO of the company too stated on various media platforms that it was pointless for Blackberry to manufacture smartphones for a small subset of its users, therefore it has shut down any manufacture of hardware products or smartphones. The company will sell all of its hardware parts to third parties and start developing security-based apps for various smartphones. This news has become viral on social media with trending slogans such as “We are not the smartphone, we are the smart in the phone” and #SoftwareIsTheNewBlackberry, #BBSecurity, #software for devices, #EnterpriseOfThings, and #IOT.

Blackberry focuses and remains committed to mobility business solutions. Instead of focusing on smartphones handsets, it will focus on making smartphones and big data of phones secure from various malwares and hacks. The company aims to be the golden standard of security and plans on offering services for the security starved cyberspace, which can be availed from its official website.

In today’s app-based world, smartphones or handsets too are only purchased on the basis of number of features and attractive apps they offer. It might seem like Blackberry had a doomsday due to more preference of touchscreens in Google-based Android smartphones and iOS phones, but it is preparing to be ‘the smart in the smartphones’, by offering secure apps in the security starved cyber space.

From being the phone of our choice to the phone with no choice, Blackberry has bled red ink since it has witnessed sharp decline in sales. The phone was once spotted with the Wall Street traders, politicians and celebrities due to its well-regarded security system, but now its only features of securing the phone and its app from insecure cyber space is its trump card that Blackberry plans to use to regain its presence.

Abhishek Budholiya
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